Enoteca Picone

Best place in town to try good Sicilian wine. It closes early so get there early. They serve some food, but it is also a good place to stop by before or after dinner. The last star is missing because the red wine was served a bit too warm.

We asked several friendly locals, and our favorite waiter, where we should go to get an informed, broad, sample of Sicilian wines. All agreed on Enoteca Picone. It is easy to see why. The size, selection and the staff’s dedication to information sharing, when desired, as well as astutely judging the match between wine and the level of sophistication of the customer’s palate, sets this as a must visit for those who want to increase their knowledge of wine in general and Sicilian wines in particular.
We walked from our hotel near Piazza Verdi in 15 minutes and walked into the entryway that seems like any other small wine bar. After we explained what we wanted, we were shown to a very large 45′ (15m.) long L shaped tasting area with 15 – 18 small elevated tables with two stools and two side tables at each place. The outside of the room is lined with fully stocked, floor to ceiling wine racks divided first by region and then by varietal. We asked for a primer on whites and started with 2 glasses of a carricante, an ancient Sicilian strain grown on Etna. We had sampled a cataratto earlier which seems to be the major white wing grape of the region and this had much more acid but pleasing citrus that compared most closely to a Sauvignon Blanc in our experience. We then tried an entry level nero d’avola, the major Sicilan red, that compared to Syrah and another red that was very harsh by comparison and so, unfortunately, forgettable.
Service was knowledgeable, attentive, provided in English and Italian and the original 4 oz. (120 ml.) pours were toned down to 2 oz. (60 ml.) at our request so we could walk back. The total for 2 larger pours and 2 smaller ones was 12E. For an impromptu beginning tasting this was just what we wanted and we will go back for a second flight.